Reviews

Early this summer, a big batch of Xbox Windows Phone and Windows 8 games disappeared from the Store and into the ether. Some of these games would return without their Xbox features, we reported, while others would stay gone for good. One of those delisted titles was Carcassonne, a strategic board game from German developer Exozet games. This week, it finally returned to Windows Phone.

Formerly a Windows Phone 7 title, Carcassonne has been upgraded to Windows Phone 8 status. The new version looks better and plays faster than ever. It has a new cross-platform online multiplayer mode that should make playing with friends easier than before. And even better, Carcassonne supports universal purchases. Buy it once and get the Windows Phone and Windows 8 and RT versions. Read on to find out how the game plays and what changes the Remastered version brings!

Over the summer, Roku officially released a Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1 version of their Roku app, which turns your device into a handy remote control for your Roku device.

The Roku app has a simple interface and will automatically detect your Roku devices. We've been using it for about a month and find it to be a nice app to have handy for situations such as when you've lost your Roku remote, too lazy to get up and get your Roku remote or are in the mood to battle your better half with dueling remotes.

I've been playing FIFA 15 on the Xbox One in the past two weeks and I'm hooked. I don't follow football closely, but I love playing this game. It looks great, and it features several modes that are going to make Xbox One owners keep coming back for more. Whether it is a quick single player game, tournament, or online multiplayer, it's hard to get bored with FIFA 15. I haven't even mentioned FIFA Ultimate Team yet, which is EA Sports' most popular mode that I thought would be overwhelming, but has become my favorite feature of this game.

If you're still undecided whether you should buy FIFA 15 for the Xbox One, continue reading for the full review and watch our video demonstration.

There isn't a lot that goes into a Qi charging pad, or at least you would think. After all, you plug it in, plop your phone on it and there you have it. Most charging pads are designed with this mindset, being nothing more than flat pad with a plug that your phone sits on.

The TYLT VU Qi wireless charging pad is an exception to that. It is thoughtfully designed to be a little bit more than just a place to lay your phone to power up.

Afterlight is a Windows Phone photo editor that joins the crowded field of photography apps available in the Windows Phone Store. Afterlight hopes its simple design and snappy tools will help it stand out from this crowded field of apps.

Back at the beginning of September, Microsoft pulled the curtain back on three new Lumia phones: the Lumia 730/ Lumia 735 and the Lumia 830. Just four weeks later and those devices can be found at various retailers and carriers around the world.

Today I am taking a closer look at the Lumia 735 including an unboxing video, sample camera images, high-resolution photos of the phone, and my first thoughts on the successor to the Lumia 720.

A few weeks back, Bungie finally released its first post-Halo game under the Activision label: Destiny. Destiny revolves much more around completing missions and hunting for loot cooperatively with friends than Halo, with far less narrative driving players forward.

Everyone knows about Destiny, but did you know the Xbox One has another cooperative action game with just as much content and even more features at a fraction of the price? Warframe is a free to play third-person action-shooter, similar to Destiny and multiplayer classics like Phantasy Star Online. With tons of missions and playable characters, full clan support, and a very fair free to play model, Warframe has become one of the Xbox One games I just can't put down.

HiLight is a simple Windows Phone game where you have to retrace flashes of lights. The game's backdrop is a collection of wonderfully drawn up landscape images.

However, don't let the game's simple premise and good looks fool you. HiLight can drive you a little crazy trying to keep pace with and remembering the light's path. HiLight is a challenging, fun game to pass the time with and it's available for low-memory devices.

Forza Horizon 2 is one of this year's biggest exclusive games for Xbox One and Xbox 360. The latest in the Forza racing game series, this installment allows players to explore and participate in a huge variety of races throughout an idyllic European countryside. With unparalleled graphics, realistic AI opponents, robust online features, and tons of gorgeous cars to collect and drive, Forza Horizon 2 is the racing game to beat. No wonder we gave it such an enthusiastic review.

Although Forza Horizon 2's in-app purchases have been toned down significantly compared to last year's Forza 5, the new game still has some optional up-sells for serious fans of the game. Chief among those is the VIP membership. Becoming a VIP promises extra cars, faster progression, and in-game recognition for other players to see. We've tried out the $20 membership in order to bring you detailed impressions of its benefits and value.

Mini Dogfight is an air combat Windows Phone game that puts you behind the controls of World War I era fighter planes. The mission oriented game pits you against a host of enemy Aces where you battle to be the Top Ace.

Available for low-memory devices, Mini Dogfight offers a host of planes from single winged fighters to sea planes to bi-planes. Power-ups and health bonuses fall from the sky during combat missions to help improve your chances and there are currently ten missions where you will face off against enemy Aces to fight.

Graphics are nicely drawn up, game play challenging and overall Mini Dogfight is a fun game to pass the time with.

Every now and then, we check out Windows Phone Store title designed for our younger audience, finding ourselves stumbling upon a gem of a game or app. Pango Zoo is one such app that is an attractive, dare I say impressive, Windows Phone children's game that lets your child interact with a host of zoo animals.

The game has more of a storybook feel than a gaming feel with five adventures for your child to discover and play through. The illustrations and animations are nicely drawn up and while the user interface does require a little exploration, that isn't necessarily a bad thing for children's game.

Available for low-memory devices, Pango Zoo comes across as a fun Windows Phone gaming title well suited for your Kid's Corner. It is a fun time waster of a game that you and your children should enjoy.

Bow Man HD is a Windows Phone game that will test your skills at archery by way of a dueling contest where you need to take out your opponent before they take you out. The game has three dueling modes along with target shoot where you get to shoot down passing birds.

Bow Man HD is a sequel of sorts to the original Bow Man game that was released earlier this year. The original was in black and white and the HD version simply adds more color to the mix. Even with the added color, graphics are minimal with Bow Man HD.

Game play is mildly challenging and Bow Man HD is available for low-memory devices. It's not the most action packed game in Windows Phone Store but if you are in the hunt for a decent time waster, Bow Man HD is worth a try.

Defense Grid 2 is the sequel to Hidden Path Entertainment's 2009 critically-acclaimed Xbox Live Arcade tower defense strategy game. Having achieved so much with the first entry, Hidden Path still felt like they could outdo themselves with a next-gen version. And indeed Defense Grid 2 is easily the best tower defense game on Xbox One right now.

If you're someone that likes tower defense games, but feel as if most of them are too easy, perhaps this is the game you need to play. Defense Grid 2 has layers and layers of complexity. This isn't just "put down the towers at the beginning of the wave and watch it defeat your enemies." This is more of a scramble fast to build your towers and put them in the right spots early, or watch your enemy easily pick you apart. Check out our detailed review to learn how it all works.

The Return of the Ducks is a Windows Phone shooter game that has you battling evil ducks who are dead set on stealing your pumpkins.

As you might guess, you are tasked with blasting these ducks out of the sky before they can abscond with your pumpkins. The game includes twenty levels of play, a wide assortment of guns and not too shabby graphics.

The game is available for low-memory devices and while The Return of the Ducks presents itself as a fun game to pass the time with, several performance issues holds this gaming title back.

SensorCore is the technology made by Nokia in conjunction with Qualcomm to enable tracking of your location, steps, and level of activity using your Windows Phone while not killing your battery. Found on the Lumia 630, Lumia 635, Lumia 730, Lumia 735, Lumia 830, Lumia 930, and Lumia 1520, SensorCore is also open to third-party developers to make new apps that leverage the tech.

Sensie is one of those apps, and it is quite ingenious and well polished, especially being relatively new, (it first launched at the beginning of September, but received an update today). The app is designed to visualize your travels and recent activities, leveraging HERE Maps.

Last year, the Xbox One launched with a graphical tour-de-force racing game known as Forza Motorsport 5. This year, Microsoft and developer and developer Playground Games (plus Sumo Digital, who handled the Xbox 360 version) have returned with the more approachable, open world spin-off Forza Horizon 2.

The new Horizon improves upon Forza 5's gorgeous graphics engine and photorealistic cars, creating the best looking racer yet. Players drive across southern Europe solo or online, exploring the countryside and participating in hundreds of events at their leisure. You won't find another racing game with Forza Horizon 2's sense of exploration and adventure. Learn about the game's wealth of races and social features in our comprehensive review with video, and be sure to join the Windows Central club!!

Cops is a retro styled Windows Phone arcade game that has pixelated, monotone graphics and mildly challenging game play. You play the role of one of the most wanted criminals and have to navigate through the nine platform styled gaming levels.

You can run, jump and shoot your way through all the coppers who are determined to throw you in the big house. Along with the run of the mill street cops, you will also have to face off with two bosses.

Reminiscent of the old GameBoy, or maybe even the Commodore 64 video games, Cops does have a certain level of appeal and is available for low-memory devices.

Run Down is a fast paced, arcade styled game of survival where you have to control a falling ball and make sure it never reaches the top of the screen. Call it a reverse jumper game for Windows Phone.

It's a game of survival with simple controls, three difficulty levels and a handful of ball styles to choose from. Run Down isn't an overly complicated game but has it's fair share of challenges. The game is available for low-memory devices and Run Down isn't a bad gaming option to have in your Windows Phone gaming library for the times you need a little help burning a few minutes.

We're taking a look at the $179 dual-SIM Windows Phone from BLU!

BLU is starting to make waves here in the Americas with their Win line of Windows Phones. Both the Win JR and Win HD offer customers yet another viable option for jumping on to Microsoft's growing platform while on a budget.

Previously, we showed you the Win JR, an $89 Windows Phone that left us impressed. Today, it is the Win HD, its bigger and much cooler looking sibling. Running for $179 on Amazon and Microsoft Stores (soon), the Win HD is one lovely looking Windows Phone.

Bouncing Sheep is an arcade styled Windows Phone game where you drop sheep down on to a flock of birds to take them out. The storyline has your sheep peacefully enjoying the quiet of the pasture when a bunch of noisy birds invades the rolling hills.

The game includes dozens of levels to play that are spread across three landscapes (the Hills, Beach and Desert), plenty of power-ups to help you defeat the birds and decent graphics. Available for low-memory devices, Bouncing Sheep's game play reminds me of the old Pachinko games.

In playing Bouncing Sheep on and off for the past few days, I can see the appeal the game could have as an entertaining time waster of a game.

As smartphone and tablet technology advances by leaps and bounds every year, battery technology unfortunately progresses at a much different pace. Even powerful phones like the Lumia 1520 will run out of power before long if you do much gaming and movie watching on them. Wall and car chargers can only help so much, as we often use mobile devices away from those life-sustaining outlets.

The solution for consumers, of course, is to grab an external battery (aka power bank). Lumsing (makers of the excellent Ultrathin Bluetooth keyboard) offers several different power banks to choose from. The Lumsing 10,400 mAh Harmonica Power Bank is one of their more robust options, with enough power to charge a tablet like the Dell Venue 8 Pro twice over. It's also shockingly affordable at only $19.99 on Amazon. Let's take a closer look at the big little power bank.

We mentioned Trivia Crack being released in the Windows Phone Store last week and had the opportunity to spend some time with the game to see how well it shook out. Trivia Crack is an online trivia game, very similar in nature to the popular Trivial Pursuit games.

You have six categories of questions to test your knowledge against and a few power-ups (life lines) to help nudge you in the right direction. Answer three questions in a category to try to win a crown and win all six crowns you win the match.

Available for low-memory devices, Trivia Crack isn't a bad choice of games but it felt more like a work in progress than a polished final product.

Canyon Capers is a retro styled arcade platform Windows Phone game that has you guiding your players across fifty levels of play, collecting gems and treasures while ducking and dodging dangerous creatures.

Graphics have that early 1990's feel and while some may find game play uneventful, the game does grow on you. Available for low-memory devices, Canyon Capers isn't a bad option to consider if you are looking for a throwback styled Windows Phone game.

Got a few minutes to burn? Like fast-paced Windows Phone puzzle games? Then you need to check out Flat Out in the Windows Phone Store.

The game is simple to pick up but may drive you nuts trying to master it. Flat Out challenges you to trace a circle within a sequence of gems by connecting gems of the same color. Sounds easy on the surface but you are racing a clock and the circle patterns aren't always obvious.

Available for low-memory devices, Flat Out is an appealing, somewhat addictive Windows Phone game that can help you pass short bits of time. Heck, it might even stand up to longer gaming sessions.